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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. vault — a safe
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bank — for money
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cold — an illness
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tear — to rip

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com